I love these lingering days of summer  and my older neighbourhood, because I suspect that one would never have the same happenings in the suburbs, in some gated district where there are regulations on what color and style you build the fence and outdoor clothes lines are taboo.

Always found back lanes more interesting than front yards and frequent them often whether walking the dogs or riding in safety. The avenue I live on, for the most part as is a throughfare, does not allow front street parking. Consequently most of the activity and interaction between neighbours occurs in the back alley. or over the fence.

My front gate is very securely wired together so the dogs don’t wander when no one is home. The mailman just reaches over to deliver contents to our covered box…remember the previous stories of mail toting dogs.

The other morning I was working downstairs and heard my name being called from the back porch came up to discover my neighbour from across the lane toting a large framed picture. This had been a wedding gift 27 years ago from some Philipino friends and spent most of it’s life in their basement. Terry thought perhaps with my “religious leanings “ I could find a more appropriate home for it…. The Last Supper still for the moment sits on the back porch.

The granddaughter came over night on Wednesday and pitted cherries and did some cleaning to earn abit of cash towards the hair cut and dye before school starts. Thursday morning we walked both of the dogs down the back alleys with a few stops of sunflowers and brightly painted garages. Down the ravine and left me at the pool, tied up dogs while she proceeded home further on in mill creek.

Garden greens and rice make lovely out door meals.

As we have a PhD university student friend of my daughter Amelia http://www.dreamingovertheocean.blogspot.com moving into the basement, my sewing room  needed to do a quick conversion, and was lacking a few extras.

Had fleetingly noticed the “ Take It “ sign a few doors down the back lane …so decided to investigate. The result is a new chair, dresser which came in two pieces and had to secure the backing on with small nails and a bedside table.
All hauled by yours truly on the dolly and bag of cherries gladly received in return.

The Evans cherry tree is slowly being picked and in return have done raspberry and green bean picking as in the two center rows here of shared garden…owners away. Eva and Sigfried, almost 90, have this backyard garden and still maintained between the odd nap in chair outdoors.

Sharing and barter contributors to community.

This weekend was the Labatt’s Edmonton International Blues Fest

The setting is a covered but open setting in Hawrelak Park in the river valley. Enjoyed the odd beer as well….last call about 9:30 PM.   Sunday saw picking up a Blues T-shirt and in line for an autogragh of CD of Fiona Boyes...sitting in camp chair with friends and running into others not seen in a while....Moving here with Sista Monica on the dance floor or Rick Estrin...and evening finished with John Hammond

The line up was:

Friday August 21

Moreland & Arbuckle

Magic Slim and the Teardrops

Roomful of Blues

Saturday August 22

Arsen Shomakhov

Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band

Juke Joint Duo: Cedric Burnside and Lightening Malcolm

The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Review
featuring the Tommy Castro Band, Magic Dick, Kenny Neal and Deanna Bogart

Sunday August 23

Boyes, Brill & DelGrosso

David Gogo

Rick Estrin & the Nightcats

Sista Monica Parker

John Hammond Quartet

Both sunny & rainy days as we approach late summer with unpredictable weather somewhat my own schedule, the dogs are not actually getting a lot of attention in the last few weeks.

My readership is not high but take some time when you stop by and leave a comment....the dialogue is also what blogging is about. You don't have to be a xangian to do so as!

In the north regular viewing from Kugaaruk (  thanks for stopping Lindsay ) Arviat, Arctic Bay ( well Clare and Darcy probably over connected through facebook ) Iqaluit, Cape Dorset, Yellowknife, Rankin ( Hi to Cindy ) Whitehorse ( Brooke I think ) and Ancorage Alaska and odd stop bys from my recent work stop as Kimmirut and Gjoa Haven. Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Vancouver and California well those are mostly family and freinds but Duncan BC, Peterborough On, Montreal PQ and North Carolina ( Hi to Katie T. ) and of course the bots from Washington DC ( beware of all the northern info security risks I am posting ) and odd hits from UK, Africa, Australia and Hong Kong.

Wishing you all a happy day, safe travels as back to school or north and enjoy some of the lingering summer!

Here are some of my events in the past week…. picking raspberries and cherries as part of a new Edmonton group, OFRE, sharing excess fruit equally with the owner, the food bank and pickers. Overgrown flowers and lush raspberries and one guard cat ….my dogs stayed tied up. Went down for one evening at the Fringe festival on Sunday and here they are snuggled outside the beer tent. Somewhere in our biking Dysis came up with an “eau de skunk” so she was off the groomers today.

Well my vehicle is toast and I haven’t figured out what I am doing next, other than bussing and biking. It is not as if I haven’t been in the situation before as spend three summers vehicle less…strikes abit of my independent woman genes as I chose to ride my road bike to work in the west end this morning. Did the river valley scenic route over an hour each way. The return down Mac Kinnon ravine towards Groat bridge was lovely gliding down about 5 PM. This is the Edmonton Queen river boat and the Peace Mile statue on Conners Hill. My legs are feeling the ups and downs and a gel bike seat cover is definitely needed.

My car broke down on 137 Ave about noon, had to call AMA, towed to Canadian Tire west end, uncertain what wrong or how long repairs would be...my brother in law Ron had to meet me and drive me to work. A broken timing belt and bent valves make the the repair more costly than the '90 honda civic is worth...so it is sitting at Canadian Tire and I am on call this weekend and working days at the Mis next week, so the timing could not have been worse.

Having to figure things out...and don't even ask about the dentist this week....just another personal vent as I try and maintain my usual optimistic cup is half full not half empty attitude!

One of the joys and frustrations of my return home has been the backyard jungle a wonderful mix of weeds. flowers, tomato plants, overgrown peas, dropping cherry branches and spontaneously planted sunflowers. Don't forget two dogs who have found their spots to cool off. very appreciative of the care by housesitter...the house intact and clean, dogs fed, brushed and not escaped and plants watered and growing, I return to the city with still some time to appreciate Edmonton summers. The weeds well an opportunity to be in the yard...so here are some of my before and after shots. this mass of green beneath the back deck does actually house four tomato plants and some basil, oregano and thyme in front. The old washtub is bursting with flowers and surounded by weeds and overgrown rose bush now trimmed back. my favorite sitting spot well... this is where the sprouting sunflowers found a home...from last yearsbird feeder location.  the masses in the lawn are tree roots in leave.

Actually there is a beauty in unruly gardens as shown by the dropping branch of still ripening Evans cherries and wild rose bush beneath or sunflower next to the pine.

• Good news... first I am back in Edmonton...

Cannot believe it is August already time for last hikes and packing up the carvings. My little carvings mostly from younger carvers… Different perspective on some quartz and mica pieces I picked up from my hikes. Picked some arctic cotton to dry above one of my wall hangings.

Cloud berries evidence of the progressing summer..soon the blueberries will be ready in mid to late August but after my departure. (Arctic Willow Salix arctica family Salicaceae) is a tiny creeping willow typically a low shrub growing to only 1–15 cm (0.39–5.9 in) in height but here about 2-3 feet tall. The next shot of tiny yellow flowers are lovely. Quite amazed I got the detail of this shot used zoom but on landscape setting Prickly saxifrage I think or ???? maybe Cinquefoil, common name for any of various hardy annual and perennial five-fingered plants and shrubs of the rose family, found in northern temperate and frigid regions of the world. Growing to a height of 61 cm (24 in), the plants generally have five small leaves clustered in a circle and bear yellow or white five-petaled flowers.

Description of cinquefoil, its habitat, medicinal uses, and other useful tips.
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_cinquefoil.htm

This boat is the Misty Maid that goes out in August to near Cape Dorset to bring back rock and soapstone for the carvers.

Here I come! An evening hike with Koda and distant look at the sea entry with tide out, very calm. Low tide...my office is with pink roof and Coop Inns North to the left About 8 PM on July 28, tide out and calm ...on my walk from office. Boys in front of my house Rainbow about 8 P M  on bikes and mosquito netting Evening rainbow over Anglican church  Waiting for next season. Rusted tin cans, again evidence that the arctic is not pristine as we leave our marks and garbage. Tied canoe in front of old HBC building